The emiction disorder caused by benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is a familiar and frequently-occurring disease that harms and distresses the health of both elderly and middle-aged men. With the increasing age of the population in recent years, the rate of emiction disorders has been on the rise. For example, almost one third of American adult men have BPH diseases. In China, the incidence of BPH is also on the rise: in 1936, the rate of BPH in Chinese men over the age of 41 was about 6.6%; as of the last known figures, the rate in the same population is 30.5%.
The modern medical studies have proven that there are two factors leading to lower urethra hamperness caused by prostate hypertrophy: (1) dynamic factors and (2) static factors. At present, two major categories of medicaments are used clinically to treat BPH: (1) α-1-adrenal receptor blocking agents and (2) 5-α-reductase inhibitor (antiandrogen). The α-1-adrenal receptor blocking agent acts to reduce tension on the smooth muscles of the prostate gland and on the neck of the bladder. Thus, the dynamic factor (i.e., blockage of the bladder) is released to abate or remove the clinical symptoms. Representative of the α-1-adrenal receptor blocking agents are HARNA, TERAZOSIN, etc. The 5-α-reductase inhibitor inhibits BPH by stopping testosterone from being transformed into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Representative of the 5-α-reductase inhibitor is PROSCAR. While both types of medicaments are effective, there are side effects.
There are also compounds used to treat BPH that are formulated from pure plants. Exemplary of these medicaments are CEFASABAL (which includes extracts of sabalis serrulatae fructus, solidaginis herba and hippocastani semen) and PROSTAT (which includes water-soluble pollen extract P5 and fat-soluble pollen extract EA10) pollen preparations. While there do not seem to be side effects with these pure plant compounds, they are not quick-acting, and long periods of treatment are required.
In the realm of traditional Chinese medicine, the emiction disorder caused by BPH belongs to the joint categories of dysuria and blockage. “Dysuria” refers to difficult in urination, a slim and fragile urine line and blocked urine. When urination occurs with a degree of difficultly, it is referred to as “dysuria”. When urination cannot occur, it is referred to as being blocked (i.e., the patient is suffering from “blockage”). Traditional Chinese medicine treats BPH with a compound that can be considered to target multiple parts of the body. Advantageously, patients are safely treated with a whole-body treatment. However, it suffers from the same drawbacks as the pure plant compounds.
Chinese Patent No. 98113889.6 describes a kind of capsule and its preparation method. In the method, raw materials (such as rough gentian, dried rehmannia root, Tuckahoe, celery wormwood, root of Chinese thorowax, tulip, cordate houttuynia and devilpepper) are soaked in 8-fold water for 2 hours, the raw materials are then removed and the water is collected. Next, the raw ingredients are soaked in 5-fold water for 1 hour, the raw materials are then removed and the water is collected. Next, the raw materials are soaked in 3-fold water for 1 hour, the raw materials are removed and the water is collected. The three collections of water are combined, decompressed, and concentrated as a dry extract. The dry extract is then comminuted (crushed) and encapsulated. This preparation is believed to: clear away evil heat and expel superficial evils; relieve rheumatic pains; cure colds; reduce swellings, relax the liver; dispell melancholy; and increase blood circulation in order to dissipate blood stasis. It can be used to treat diseases such as acute and chronic prostatitis, prostate hypertrophy, etc. The preparation has obvious curative effects, and the symptoms of dysuria are obviously improved. The efficacy rate can reach 90%. However, the side effects can be relatively complicated, especially with uncertain effects on emiction disorders.